President pledges to introduce national policy to upgrade Sri Lanka’s public transport system

It is the government’s expectation to establish a strong public transport system that is comfortable, safe, efficient and reliable for the people and that the government is currently in the process of formulating a national policy to achieve this objective, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated.

The President also noted that the government is preparing plans to introduce new buses that meet proper standards while gradually removing older buses from the transport system. Although this cannot be accomplished immediately, he stated that by working in a planned manner over several years, it would be possible to provide the public with a high-quality bus fleet, which is a key objective of the government.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made these remarks while attending the ceremony held this morning (10) at Temple Trees to present letters of appointment to 199 newly recruited drivers and 342 conductors representing all districts of the island for the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB).

Marking the occasion, the President symbolically presented letters of appointment to several recipients.

Recalling the strong emotional bond that once existed between the people of Sri Lanka and the SLTB, the President expressed confidence that all those who received their appointments today would fulfil their responsibilities in rebuilding the institution, which had deteriorated over time due to political appointments and various irregular dealings, into a strong public transport service once again. He also extended his congratulations to all the new appointees.